A 23-year-old woman's Facebook post has gone viral after she shared a heartfelt letter written to her single father earlier this week. The touching message has been liked more than 42,000 times and has more than 1,600 shares.

Tiana Sheehan was just nine years-old when her mother died from lung cancer. Her father, Glenn, took on the role of both mother and father, guiding Sheehan through break-ups, puberty and even the daunting task of learning how to shave her legs.

Advertisement

“I wanted my dad to know how much I appreciate him. I wanted to brag on him, so I took to Facebook,” Sheehan told People on Friday. “I never thought in a million years that so many people would see and share it — or that it would resonate with so many people."

"Single dads don't get the credit they deserve; especially mine and all dads who are left playing both roles," Sheehan wrote in a post on Tuesday. "There was never a time in my childhood where I truly thought I was missing out on anything. My dad was so good at fulfilling both roles and making sure my childhood was as normal as possible; that there was never a time I thought Life or God had screwed me over. My dad handled everything: periods, shaving, broken hearts, catty girlfriends - you name it and my dad took it like a champ."

Sheehan, a Lexington-based photographer, said her father, an Olive Garden employee, was touched by the message.

“I told him, ‘We made it, Dad. All those times we didn’t know how we would. We did.,’ ” she said. “I could tell he got a little choked up, but he laughed a little and said ‘We sure did, kid.'"